~ Village Teacher – The Book & Photographs

Three Views of a Bridge

A trip to Big Sur would not be the same if you never drove over Bixby Bridge. Even if you didn’t know where it was, you cannot avoid noticing it as you came near the bridge. First the graceful curve of the coast where Bixby spans over rocky pillars at the two ends of a gorgeous beach, then the throngs of tourists at the north end taking selfies or having their pictures taken, some hovering near an almost vertical drop to the rocks below.

Bixby Bridge, built in 1932. This is the view from the north end of the bridge.

There are several other bridges before and after Bixby, most built in the same year, in the same style, but Bixby stands out because its beautiful lines and setting.

Fleeing the throngs of tourists with an insatiable appetite for photos, I walked to the other side of the road and made a short hike inland. That side also had several cars parked there, and one pickup truck went deep inland, maybe looking for a way to get down near the waves. That was to be proven fruitless. The only way to go down was to hike a treacherous and slippery trail, and you would be trespassing over private land.

Bixby Bridge, back view.

Seeing no one at the southern end, I drove over, parked the car and climbed on top of a small earth mound and took the following shot.

Bixby Bridge, view from the south end.

Then looking down, the view of the beach was simply breathtaking.

Beach below Bixby Bridge.

Bixby is the most photographed on the Pacific Coast, and has been featured in movies and commercials, especially car commercials. As I was thinking about that, a red convertible Ford Mustang glided over the bridge toward me. Maybe another career was opening up, who knows?

Red Mustang driving over Bixby Bridge.

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13 thoughts on “Three Views of a Bridge”

Big Sur was the start of my love affair with the California coastline back in 1968. Things have changed quite a bit these last several years with an influx of tourists and the fires, floods and landslides. I used to dream of living in that area but these days I suspect I landed in a far better location for one who enjoys more solitude. Your images certainly do this amazing coastline justice.

No apology needed. I’m struggling to catch up after a marvelous two week tour up north. Too many piled up emails, blogs to visit and photos taken, not to mention the more mundane stuff like laundry and returning to “normal”. 😀